James Franco has been removed from a scheduled appearance at the New York Times' TimesTalks following claims from multiple women that he has engaged in sexual misconduct over the years.
In a statement provided to The Hollywood Reporter, a Times representatives said, "The event was intended to be a discussion of the making of the film, The Disaster Artist. Given the controversy surrounding recent allegations, we're no longer comfortable proceeding in that vein."
The accusations were first made public on Twitter Sunday night, when Franco received a Golden Globe for his work in The Disaster Artist. Two women watching the telecast noticed he was wearing a Time’s Up pin in support of sexual harassment victims and pointed out Franco's hypocrisy, citing personal experiences of their own.
Actress Violet Paley came forward first, recalling an instance when Franco allegedly pushed her head towards his exposed genitalia. She also mentioned a time that Franco told her underage friend to join him in his hotel room.
Sarah Tither-Kaplan, a former student of Franco's, shared a story about Franco exploiting his power by telling her to perform a nude scene in two of his movies for $100 each day. When commenters pointed out that she had willingly signed the contract, Tither-Kaplan responded by explaining, "The movement is about abuse of power, not just sexual abuse. If you don't know what it's like to be a struggling actor and how people in power take advantage of women in the industry, then educate yourself.
Another woman, actress Ally Sheedy revealed in since-deleted tweets that Franco's sexual misconduct was a reason she left the business. She tweeted: "James Franco just won. Please never ask me why I left the film/tv business."
Later, in a follow-up tweet, Paley disclosed that James offered her and "a few other girls" an overdue phone apology, which she does not accept.
Franco has yet to publicly respond to these accusations.
